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Select from the following releases from the Lesley Byers & The Jazz Cats catalog:
 Undecided
 Twisted
 Slick Chick
 Cool Yule
Lesley also is featured as a guest vocalist:
 More
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Click on the "Listen " link to hear a sound clip in MP3 format, where available.
Jukebox Stream all available clips for Slick Chick with one click! |
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1 | 
| Mean to Me |
2 |
| Love Me or Leave Me |
3 | 
| Perdido |
4 | Listen | Hit that Jive Jack |
5 | Listen | Black Coffee |
6 | Listen | A Slick Chick (on the Mellow Side) |
7 | Listen | I've Got You Under My Skin |
8 | 
| Lester Leaps In |
9 | Listen | Mama (He Treats Your Daugher Mean) |
10 |
| Bli-Blip |
11 | 
| Big Time |
12 | Listen | Blue Skies |
"From the name of the album and group I was expecting to hear from Lesley Byers and the Jazz Cats something along the lines of Keely Smith with Louis Prima and Sam Butera's Witnesses, but Byers and her quintet of capable sidemen from the Windy City offer a more straight-ahead brand of Jazz that's as well-crafted as it is pleasurable. Byers is a bright, personable singer who must be even more charming to see than merely to hear. One can readily sense her remarkable vitality and enthusiasm for what she does, and there's no doubt Byers knows how to sell a lyric. As a bonus, her articulation is so clear that almost every syllable is sharply defined and comprehensible, which isn't always true of contemporary singers, some of whom seem more interested in showing off than in telling a story, which is what a singer should do (for a splendid example of how to narrate one properly, listen to Byers on Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies"). For her third album as leader, she has chosen five popular works from the Great American Song Book to complement such swing-oriented fare as 'Hit That Jive Jack,' 'A Slick Chick' and 'Mama (He Treats Your Daughter Mean).' Byers is persuasively forlorn on 'Black Coffee' and scats with assurance on the Ellington novelty tune 'Bli-Blip.' Another highlight is the clever 'rise-to-stardom' opus, 'Big Time.; There's one instrumental, Lester Young's peppery 'Lester Leaps In.' Tenor Ed Enright, whose name I'd seen before as a writer for (I think) Down Beat magazine, solos on that one along with guitarist Zvonimir Tot and drummer Deric Perry. Elsewhere, the main soloists are Enright (on tenor or baritone) and pianist John Proulx. Even though the playing time is less than forty-one minutes, almost all of them are rewarding. In sum, an ultra-classy caper by a super-slick chick.
"Finding the superb mix of jazz and swing, Lesley Byers and the Jazz Cats are at the top with their latest release A Slick Chick. Done with style and taste, Miss Lesley knocks me off my feet with the sound of her voice on this disc. Looking for a disc worth putting your green down on, try this and thank me later. A great band, awesome sound, fab song selection and vocals make this disc something not to miss!"
— Jason 'JK' Kolucki, DJ Evolution of Swing, 6/02
"Stop the presses! Get this CD in your library right now! The CD is packed with great versions of your favorite songs and will keep your toes tappin' and you hummin' along throughout the twelve songs on it! Well, eleven, one is Latin! Swing dancers are going to rave about the music they will find on this CD. Byers and her boys take on the dance favorites including 'Love Me or Leave Me' and 'Bli-Blip.' The former is a very nice version but Byers vocals don't recapture the Nina Simone attitude. That doesn't make it bad, just another good version to dance to. 'Bli-Blip' was done very well. It's a very playful and melodic with great scatting by Byers. There are numerous songs "in the pocket" for dancers like 'Perdido,' 'Mean to Me,' 'Mama (He Treats Your Daughter Mean),' and 'Blue Skies.'There is also a fantastic bluesy 'Black Coffee,' where Byers excels with her sexy vocals and excellent phasing. Byers also lets it go with 'Mama,' breaking away from her comfort zone and getting growly and adding great vocal inflections that you don't hear in the bulk of these tunes. Faster tunes include 'Hit That Jive Jack,' 'Lester Leaps In' and 'Big Time.' Balboa, Shag and fast Lindy dancers will love these high energy, blazing fats tempos.
"The band. WOW! These guys swing hard. There are great solos by all throughout but I should point out great piano work in 'Mean To Me' and 'Blues Skies.' The sax shines in 'Lester Leaps In' and guitar excels in 'A Slick Chick.'
"This is definitely a CD for dancers. Seven of twelve tunes are totally in the pocket and the rest you will have fun with either listening to or dancing outside the pocket. Lesley Byers & The Jazz Cats have one solid, swingin' CD for you."
"Bottom Line: To buy or not to buy...Oh yeah, BUY THIS ONE!"
GET IT IN PERSON: Check out our schedule and come out to one of our live performances!
Or check out Chicago's Jazz Record Mart!
GET IT BY MAIL: To order by mail, send $12 check or money order plus $2 for shipping & handling to:
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Lesley Byers & TJC
PO Box 614
Highland Park, IL 60035
Please allow 1-2 weeks for delivery
(FYI - More $$ goes to the band when buying CD's through mail order)
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GET IT ONLINE: Slick Chick is available from Amazon or CD Baby! Both sites offer sound clips from the albums to preview. Select from our options below:
In a rare moment when her perfectionist side doesn't get the best of her, Lesley LOVES what she hears!
"Sing out Louise!"
Mike Maratea slaps that bass.
It's no wonder why we call him "The Bass Machine."
Zvonimir Tot swings his axe.
John Proulx tickles the ivories.
You can find him playing in LA now!!
Big Daddy Stove Pipe takes a listen.
Deric jams away!
Blow, Ed, blow!
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